1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates generally to containers and holders such as magazine and file holders and the like, and, more particularly to a foldable container or holder formed of a one-piece blank of stiff material which is scored and cut in a pattern which, when folded, forms a generally rectangular container or holder with a suspending tab for hanging or suspending the container on a support member, and to the method of forming the container.
2. Background Art
Containers and holders which can be suspended from a support member are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,967,154, issued to Arie Sharon, one of the co-inventors of the present invention, and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display support system for releasably supporting a plurality of product-containing containers for display and sales of the products contained therein. The system includes a generally rectangular container having an open top end, a bottom end wall, and vertical side walls. In one embodiment, the containers are supported on a horizontal support channel having an inverted generally U-shaped longitudinally extending top portion defining a lip, and a longitudinally extending L-shaped flange at the bottom, wherein the top end of the rear wall of the container is engaged under the depending lip and its bottom corner is supported on the protruding flange of the channel.
Rigid and stiff pre-formed containers and holders which can be suspended from a support member are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,019, discloses a merchandise rack for supporting a number of readily available conventional pans or plastic or fiber containers of various widths and shapes. The device comprises a vertically extending and horizontally elongated plate having an inverted generally L-shaped flange at an upper end defining a depending lip having a series of longitudinally spaced notches defining spaced apart depending lip portions, and an outwardly and downwardly inclined flange at a lower end, whereby a series of elongated article receiving pans are removably mounted thereon. Each pan has vertical side walls, an open top end, and a bottom wall. The bottom wall is supported on the lower flange and the upper edge of one side wall fits into the space defined between the lip portions at the upper end and the adjacent opposed edges of the pan extend through the notches.
Preformed and foldable magazine holders formed of paperboard or plastic materials also known in the art, but are not designed to be suspended and are incapable of being folded to create a hook-shaped suspending tab for hanging or suspending them from a support member. For example, European Patent Application EP 0099170 (which was subsequently withdrawn) discloses a foldable magazine holder formed from a single sheet of plastic having folding flanges and coupling slots, and tabs which can be releasably engaged into locking interrelationship assume a three-dimensional structure when erected.